Research

My laboratory-based research programme explores a link between alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS), a ubiquitous post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanism, and prostate cancer (PCa) phenotypes.  During AS, coding (exons) and non-coding (introns) regions of a gene are shuffled to create protein isoforms with different functions.  AS is regulated by trans-acting RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), and tightly coupled to transcription. We are studying the link between dysregulation of transcriptional and intracellular signalling processes and AS, mediated by RBPs. 

Our translational research examines how blood-derived liquid biopsy molecular biomarkers can be used to improve treatment outcomes for PCa patients. With NHS colleagues, we are investigating minimally-invasive surgical alternatives to chemotherapy for metastatic testicular cancer to reduce the therapy burden and toxicity. In collaboration with the Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine, we are exploring how minimally-toxic chemo-preventative strategies may reduce PCa progression on active surveillance.

Other Activities

• 2019 to date- Member: National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Germ Cell Tumours Research Group
• 2019 to date- Member: NCRI Advanced Prostate Cancer Research Group
• 2019 to date- University College London Urology Clinical Academic Board

Major Funding

• 2021-2022 - Barts Charity Small Project Grant, Exploiting PTEN Loss in Hypoxic Tumour Cells (Principal Investigator) ~£48,000
• 2020-2021- CRUK Barts Centre Development Fund, Exploiting PTEN loss in Hypoxic Tumour Cells (Principal Investigator), £10,000
• 2018-2021- QMUL Life Sciences Initiative PhD Studentship, Understanding alternative splicing in human cancer by proteomics informed by transcriptomics (PIT) (Co-applicant with Professor Conrad Bessant), ~£80,000
• 2017-2021- The Urology Foundation/The John Black Charitable Foundation Project Grant, Androgen receptor splice variants in prostate cancer (Principal Investigator), £249,999

Recent Publications

Peri-operative, functional and early oncologic outcomes of salvage robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy after high-intensity focused ultrasound partial ablation Thompson JE, Thompson JE, Sridhar AN et al. BMC Urology (2020) 20(7)

Identification of altered biological processes in heterogeneous RNA-sequencing data by discretization of expression profiles Lauria A, Peirone S, Giudice MD et al. Nucleic Acids Research (2020) 48(7) 1730-1747

Early outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy following completion of a structured training curriculum: a single surgeon cohort study Sehmbi AS, Sridhar AN, Sahadevan K et al. Journal of Clinical Urology (2020) (7)

Reply by Authors Xu L, Mao X, Grey A et al. The Journal of urology (2020) 203(1) 81-82

106PElevated driver mutational burden or number of perturbed pathways and poor response to abiraterone or enzalutamide in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer De Laere B, Crippa A, Ghysel C et al. Annals of Oncology (2019) 30(10) v30-v31

Elevated driver mutational burden or number of perturbed pathways and poor response to abiraterone or enzalutamide in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer De Laere B, Crippa A, Ghysel C et al. ANNALS OF ONCOLOGY (2019) 30(11)
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000491295500319&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a

Noninvasive Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer Using Circulating Tumor Cells. Xu L, Mao X, Grey A et al. The Journal of Urology 203(1) 101097JU000000000000-101097JU000000000000
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31389764

Abstract 2580: Investigation of plasma exosomal miRNA as a biomarker and its potential function in prostate cancer castration resistant development Guo T, Wang Y, Mao X et al. (2019) (10) 2580-2580

Pathological Findings and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Concordance at Salvage Radical Prostatectomy for Local Recurrence following Partial Ablation Using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound. Thompson JE, Sridhar AN, Tan WS et al. J Urol (2019) 201(1) 1134-1143
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30730409

Androgen Receptor Burden and Poor Response to Abiraterone or Enzalutamide in TP53 Wild-Type Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. De Laere B, Rajan P, Grönberg H et al. JAMA Oncol (2019) (1)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31046065

Team

Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr John Foster

Biography

Key qualifications